The Forgotten
by Giigz
Summary: Blue was silent for a long moment. "Leaf? What happened to you? You sound so different..." He tailed off. Leaf frowned. Her chuckles were turning white. "We all change, Blue. Some just change more than others." Full summary inside.
1. First Encounter

**Almost ten years have passed since Blue and Red set out on their journey across Kanto, hunting for all the Pokémon in the world. Blue shot to stardom, becoming the Elite Four Champion, until he was beaten by Red. He then became the Viridian Gym Leader, whereas Red retreated to Mt Silver where he continued his training. But what about Leaf? The girl who was following, continuously pushing on with her Pokémon? The girl who everyone forgot? She looked up to the two older boys, pursuing them with all her might, but they left her behind.**

**Years ago she vanished, not leaving a trace. Now she's back, but something is different. Something happened to Leaf in the past and changed her dramatically. Impossibly strong, but shunning human companionship, she is the exact opposite from the amiable girl from Pallet Town that she once was. Blue is looking for her, haunted by memories, but now the tables have turned and _he_ is the one a step behind.**

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><p>The man with the green hair and the ridiculous outfit finished his speech with a strong gesture of his arm. He gave a stiff bow, turned on his heel, and left. The group of people who had been standing behind him filed after him in a rigid order. His words seemed to still hang in the air.<p>

Pokemon liberation ... Selfish commands of Trainers ... Pushed around ... Pokémon are different ... Consider the relationship between people and Pokémon.

It was a speech the likes of which none of the audience had heard before. They were to give up their Pokémon? Their trusted friends and dear companions? How was that even possible? No, it was not possible. Of course it wasn't. Pokémon liked to travel with trainers, be put into battles, be levelled up. Didn't they?

Doubt began to inch up the spines of the gathered crowd. People cast glances down at the Poké Balls resting at their hips. Then, with quiet murmurs and hurried steps, they began to disperse.

There were only four people remaining in the town square.

Two boys were standing and having a conversation. One was skinny, with glasses and an expression of contempt for what he had just heard. The other was taller and looked thoughtful. A little way from them, and watching the couple intently, was a third boy. This one had green hair tied in a ponytail and a sharp nose.

The fourth person was standing a short way back and still facing where the man had given his speech. She had wispy hair cut rigidly around her square chin. Warm brown eyes blinked out from behind the stray clumps of hair that had fallen in front of her face. There was a pink coloured Pokémon curled up in her arms. As she stood there, she was stroking its back. The creature's long, forked tail was swaying gently.

"What do we think of that?" the girl asked in a quiet voice.

The creature in her arms gave a soft thrumming purr in response, making the girl nod. Yes, the man's reasoning was flawed. Very flawed. As if Pokémon and Trainers could be separated so easily. He had a lot to learn.

The green-haired boy jerked around, his eyes fixed on the girl. "Your Pokémon... Just now, it was saying..." He tailed off, but took a step forwards. The girl kept stroking the Pokémon in her arms and barely seemed to have heard the other person speak. Instead, the bespectacled boy turned his head.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was thin and reedy, much like his body. "What's this about Pokémon talking? That's an odd thing to say."

The green-haired looked at him and his eyes flashed with disappointment. "Yes, they are talking. Yours are too. So you can't hear them either... How sad." He looked at the boy for a moment, a strange expression on his face. "My name is N."

"My name is Cheren and this is Hilbert." Cheren jerked a finger at the boy beside him who hadn't said a word. "We were asked to complete the Pokédex and we just left on our journey." He paused, and then puffed out his chest. "My main goal is to become the Champion, though."

Neither the girl, nor N paid much attention to this last sentence. N continued speaking, his eyes flicking to the Poké Balls attached to Hilbert's belt. "The Pokédex? So... You're going to confine many, many Pokémon in Poké Balls for that. I'm a Trainer, too, but I can't help wondering... Are Pokémon really happy that way?" He glanced at the girl. "And what is _your_ name?"

The girl didn't answer. She just kept stroking her Pokémon and staring off into space.

N frowned slightly. "Well, never mind. Let me hear your Pokémon again!"

From a back pocket of his trousers, N pulled a Poké Ball which he hurled at the girl's feet. A small, purple cat with a creamy-coloured face appeared in a flash of red. Purrloin. The other two boys stepped backwards, surprise etched across their features. The Purrloin let out a shrill cry, preparing to go to war.

The girl looked down at the creature in her arms. In the same quiet voice as before she asked, "Would you?"

The Pokémon barely stirred. Still purring softly, it gave a minuscule flick of its forked tail.

WHAM!

The shockwaves sent out caused the cat to be hurled backwards. It smashed into the stone ground with a loud thump and fainted, its Hit Points vanishing almost instantaneously. Immediately, the trainer called it back.

"I apologise for that," the girl said. She angled her head, making it obvious that she was speaking not to N but to her Pokémon. "I know it was a waste of PP, I agree."

The creature stirred, then raised its head. A small face, a jewel set in its forehead. Then two large, pointed ears. It sat up in her arms, yawned, and jumped to the ground where it stretched. It was revealed to be a catlike Pokémon, about a metre high, with soft pink fur and a lithe body. Espeon.

"I've never seen a Pokémon like that before." This was that boy Cheren speaking. He stepped forward. "So powerful!"

"You reveal your ignorance," the girl said without looking at him. "This creature is not native to this area, it is true, but it is well known. As for power... It would not take too high level a Pokémon to fend off that attack." She turned her face towards N. "You reveal your ignorance too. You send your Pokémon into a battle without first checking your opponent's strength. Foolish." Her voice was cold, almost freezing the air around her. She gave N a searching look.

N looked away, his grey eyes narrowed. He started talking, but as though they had not interrupted the earlier conversation with a battle. "While Pokémon are still kept in Poké Balls they will never become perfect beings," he said in a low voice. "I have to change the world for Pokémon because they're my friends." He paused and looked as though he was about to say something else, but then turned and strode away without saying anything.

Cheren gave a small snort. "Huh... Strange guy. Pokémon and Trainers need each other! That was pretty cool though." He turned to look at the girl again. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Well, I'm Cheren and this is Hilbert." Cheren glanced round at the boy beside him. "He doesn't speak much."

"I gathered that."

There was a brief silence during which the girl looked up at the clouds passing over them. Hilbert looked at the girl. Her hair was a light, dusty brown colour and fell to her chin in ragged clumps. She had a small nose, but large eyes, although they had a large amount of bags. She seemed tired, as though she hadn't been to sleep in weeks. And her clothes looked odd for a girl her age: a high-collared black shirt and black trousers, with scuffed grey boots. The clothes were torn in some areas, revealing bronzed skin beneath. Around her waist she had a belt, the belt buckle worn and faded due to years of use. There was a line of Poké Balls at her hip, these too were old and worn. She had been a Trainer for many years, it seemed, but she could not have been much holder than seventeen. That, or the balls and clothes were secondhand.

Almost as if she sensed his eyes on her, the girl glanced at Hilbert. Her gaze seemed to slice straight through him. "You are both new trainers," she stated. "You only got your Pokémon this morning, by the looks of things."

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Cheren asked.

The girl didn't look at him, keeping her eyes on Hilbert. "It's easy to tell a rookie from a professional. When you've seen as much as I have, it's easy to tell some things."

"When you've seen as much as _you_ have?" Cheren repeated.

"You are still painfully weak," the girl continued, "And horrendously ignorant. I suggest you get in some serious training before you go too far." She glanced down at a silver watch on her wrist. "I have to go, I am meeting someone soon. Good day."

She turned to leave, but another voice said, "Wait! Don't we at least get your name?"

The girl turned. It was Hilbert who had spoken. She gave him another long look. The silence became almost tangible. Then, when Hilbert was just about to give up hope, she spoke.

"Leaf. My name is Leaf."

With that, she turned and walked away. The cat walked beside her, its head held high and proud. Soon they were turning into the road out of the city. Here, the land was more rugged and the grass was longer. Wild Pokémon would be wandering through this, ready to be stumbled upon. The girl ignored this, and pulled out a Poké Ball. The creature she released was tall, with wide wings. She picked up her Espeon and climbed onto this new Pokémon's back.

"Fly," she told it. Obediently, it flapped its great wings and took off into the air with a rush of wind.

That had been an enjoyable stop at Accumula Town. Certainly, the speech by that man Ghetsis had been illuminating. A look into the minds of the Unova people, so different to those she was used to. It seemed that, what with being so cut off from the rest of the world, these people had become idiots. Gullible to such an extent that one speech was enough to leave them doubting the bond they shared with their own Pokémon. She would have liked to stop and talk to this Ghetsis, but she didn't have time. That N, he was interesting too. The resemblance between him and Ghetsis was obvious, only a fool could miss it, and yet... N did not seem to share his father's motives. He seemed perfectly innocent, genuinely wanting to give Pokémon a better life. He seemed to honestly believe that Pokémon would be better separated from trainers. Ghetsis, however... Leaf had been in this business a long time to know when someone had goals which were not entirely pure. This man positively reeked of -for want of a better word- _evil_. She would have to watch out for him.

There was a beeping from a bag strapped to her hip. Without looking down, Leaf pulled out a small phone. The caller ID read "Blue". She looked at this one, small word and let her Pokémon hover in the air. Its great winds beat in a steady rhythm, lulling her thoughts.

Blue...

She could answer the phone. She could talk to him. But doing so would bring back all those memories._ His terrified face. The flashing red eyes. The metal restraints which had held Leaf in place while she waited for Blue to arrive._ Too many memories. Memories which she should not put him through. Although, perhaps talking to him would be a cathartic thing. Get everything out, help him over it.

Not now though. She had another plan which had to be put into motion before all else. And the first step was to defeat this region's Elite Four. Of course, to gain entrance to the Elite Four she first had to battle Unova's Gym Leaders.

"Tedious," she sighed, slipping the still-ringing phone out of sight. With a small tilt, Leaf directed her steed to a nearby gym town. "Perhaps one of these days I could simply ask them all to line up and let me dispose of them all at once."

In her arms, Espeon purred in agreement.


	2. The Ferris Wheel

**This is a message to my anonymous reviewer: yes, Red will be in this fic. I mean, come on. It's _Red_. How could he _not_ be in it?**

**If you have any comments, please leave a review or message me. It's nice to get feedback.**

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><p>The phone's beeps were muffled, but still audible. Leaf ignored them. She still didn't want to talk to Blue, not just then. And it had to be Blue calling her. Nobody else called her. Nobody else even remembered she existed.<p>

"Your phone is ringing."

Leaf glanced round. That tall boy, Hilbert, was standing a little way away from her and watching her. She nodded at him.

"Good afternoon," she said, regarding him coolly. "Here to try to get the Gym Badge?"

He nodded. Leaf reached into a pocket and pulled out the Insect Badge which she had just earned. No, she wouldn't say 'earned'. Something so menial as that battle could not possibly have 'earned' her anything. She had merely taken it from the Gym Leader's sticky palm.

Castelia Gym. The Bug Gym which doubled as an Art Gallery. Although, Leaf did not care for any of the pieces on display. They were too slapdash and crude for her taste. To her, it seemed like the Gym Leader was crying out for attention. He was a Gym Leader, not an artist, and it was time he accepted it. Perhaps then he would be able to concentrate on training and put up more of a fight next time.

At her feet, Espeon gave a long sigh. She had not enjoyed the paintings either. That, and the entire gym was filled with honey which was now stuck to her fur. At that moment, she was licking the back of one paw to clean herself.

Hilbert stood in silence, looking up at the Gym.

"You have improved slightly," Leaf told him, looking at the Poké Balls on his belt. "But not a great deal. There is still a long way for you to go."

"I know."

There was a pause.

"Have you encountered Team Plasma any more?"

Hilbert nodded. He briefly described how Team Plasma had stolen a skull from the museum in Nacrene City, then his friend's Munna in Castelia. Leaf listened to Hilbert's slow voice, nodding at appropriate moments. Team Plasma seemed amateurish. They were very much the same as Team Rocket had been when she had first encountered them. Stealing objects and Pokémon, trying to force their way to the top. They even had a strange uniform which the Grunts were forced to wear. Yes, the similarities were striking.

_The metal straps digging into Leaf's bare flesh. Hot tears trickling down her face. Laughing. That loud, awful laughing._

Leaf sighed and rubbed her temples. That phone was still ringing. Why did Blue have to call _now_? Why did he have to bring back those memories _now_?

"Why aren't you answering?"

At his question, Espeon stopped cleaning herself. The Pokémon looked up at her trainer and twitched her ears curiously. She too wanted to know the reason.

"I do not feel like talking just yet."

There was a brief moment in which neither of the two spoke. It was not silence, not by any stretch of the imagination. Castelia City was the largest town Leaf had ever visited. There were people passing them by, talking into phones, running to catch a bus. A little way behind Hilbert, a Pokémon battle was taking place. The crackles of electricity shook through the air from this tussle. It would be practically impossible for any moment of silence to take place here.

"You can handle this Gym," Leaf said eventually. "Good luck." She gave another nod before turning and walking down the street. Espeon stuck close to her heels, her tail swaying lightly.

The phone stopped ringing at last.

"Where to next?" Leaf asked herself. Checking a map, she saw that she had to pass a desert to get to Nimbasa City. There was an Electric Gym there. Espeon could handle them as well.

"A desert might be fun," she commented, pausing at the gate. She glanced down at Espeon who blinked back at her. "Shall we?" The Pokémon gave a purr of agreement.

Leaf was slightly behind in her schedule. She had wanted to be on her fifth Gym badge that day, but was still only on her third. The food she had eaten at a hotel the previous week had disagreed with her. The Unova food was overly spiced and upset her stomach, so she had been left vomiting for hours. Espeon had sat beside her, sending out waves of calming Psychic energy. These had helped and she was out and about soon after the illness had first hit. Still, it was taking her too long. If that boy Hilbert was already caught up with her, then she was being slow. A _rookie trainer_ had kept pace with _her_: the elite.

Because Leaf _was_ the elite.

She kept telling herself that.

The desert was long, but she had soon crossed it. The wild Pokémon knew enough to stay away. Espeon sent out rays of energy to deter any of the braver ones. As for trainers which mistook her for one of their level? They were easily disposed of. Leaf barely had to look round.

When she arrived at Nimbasa, Leaf was briefly dazzled. Almost every building in that town was bedecked with lights, all brightly coloured and flashing. She had known this was a town for entertainment, but she had not realised it was to this extent. With one hand, she shielded her eyes from the glare and let them adjust. Where was the Gym? In the amusement arcade, that's right.

Leaf turned to her right and started walking. All around her the lights glared, casting strange shadows on her skin. Above her, the sun shone brightly, adding its own light to this cacophony of colour. She just needed to get this next badge and get out, that would be that.

A flash of green caught her eye. A boy with long green hair in a ponytail was standing in front of a ferris wheel just by the Gym. This was too good an opportunity to miss.

Quickening her pace, Leaf strode across the streets towards the Ferris Wheel. She needed to get N alone and talk to him. This Team Plasma was intriguing and she needed to know just what they were planning. Perhaps she could complete her mission slightly earlier than she'd thought.

"Hello." Her voice was just loud enough for N to hear and he turned round.

At the sight of her he gave a small smile. "Oh. Hello. It's good to see you again."

"Leaf."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Leaf. I did not tell you before."

"Ah. Leaf." N paused, looking at her. "If you want to talk to me, may we talk on the ferris wheel? You can only go on with a partner and I have been longing to try it for some time now. I enjoy Ferris wheels. The mechanics of the things..." He tailed off, looking up wistfully.

Leaf nodded. She scooped Espeon up into her arms and stepped into one of the compartments alongside N. There was a shudder, then the wheel began to turn. They inched higher and higher up into the air.

"What is your position in Team Plasma?" Leaf asked as soon as the door had closed.

N answered without missing a beat. "I am their king."

"Their king? I had expected something of importance, but I admit that is a surprise. I did not even suspect that Plasma would have a king." Yes, Unova was certainly very different. "Is there any reason why you are king? Or are you just lucky?"

"I am king because I have abilities." N was looking out of the window at the twinkling city below them. "I can talk to Pokémon."

"All Pokémon?"

"Yes. I can understand them and befriend them. I have yet to meet another person who can. And yet..." He looked round, and a minute smile was playing around his lips. "You understood your Espeon. In Accumula Town."

At the mention of her name, Espeon twitched slightly. But she kept her head buried in the crook of Leaf's arm.

Leaf stroked her Pokémon absentmindedly. "I don't have your ability," she told N.

"But you do!" His voice was elated now, almost giddy. "You understood your Pokémon and what it was saying! You talked to it-"

"That is true. But it is only true because we are close." Leaf smiled, remembering that time, many years ago, when she had first received the Eevee which would become her cherished Espeon. "I have been with Espeon for many years. Over time, we have grown closer, a strong bond has developed. I know her moods and her habits. I know everything about her. That is the only reason why I can understand what she is saying to me." She looked up and saw disappointment shining in N's eyes. "It is not an inbuilt ability, but hard work and time spent with my Pokémon. Of course, some trainers do not even use that." She lowered her eyes again, but was scowling.

The Ferris wheel shuddered to a stop, just near the top. They were about a third of the way round.

"You intend to get Trainers to release their Pokémon," Leaf stated, stroking Espeon. "How? Will you just ask them?"

"No. I have a plan."

"Do you care to elaborate?"

She did not expect him to reply, but N said without blinking, "Reshiram."

"Reshiram?"

"Reshiram. It is the Pokémon of legend, who-"

"I know who Reshiram is." Leaf was watching the other boy now, a small smile on her face. This was too perfect. "You intend to catch it, then?"

"I am deserving. I am always kind to my Pokémon and have never deceived them. Pokémon are my life. Why would it not come to me? I shall become the champion by defeating the Elite Four. Then, as the strongest Trainer in Unova, I shall tell people to release their Pokémon!" He was grinning widely now, threatening to split his face in two. There was a strange gleam in his eye.

Leaf barely moved except to stroke Espeon. "And what about Zekrom?"

N nodded. "We have chosen who shall summon Zekrom. It will be Hilbert."

She thought for a moment. "A wise choice. He seems to be improving greatly."

There was another pause. The Ferris wheel shuddered into motion again, bringing them up over the apex.

"Tell me, Leaf. Do you have a dream?"

This question was unexpected. She tilted her head on one side and considered. She looked out the window at all the people scurrying in the streets below the Ferris Wheel, then at the boy standing opposite her. He waited patiently for her answer.

"Yes. I do."

N smiled. "That's wonderful. It is good to have a dream. It gives us direction. I hope you can achieve it."

Leaf's mouth twitched. "So do I."

They waited in silence for the rest of the ride, then stepped out into the open air. Espeon stretched and leapt to the ground. N watched it for a moment.

"I believe that Pokémon should not be used by Trainers," he said in a low voice. "People are foolish and abuse them. They cause them pain. But, every so often, a trainer comes along who cares deeply for their Pokémon. You, Hilbert, Cheren, Bianca... You will all have to be separated too." He looked away from them and up at the buildings. "That does break my heart a little."

Leaf said nothing. She merely watched the boy stand there, the lights from the city silhouetting his form. It was Espeon who moved to stand in front of him. Her eyes met his and she stood strong. A harsh cry thrummed from her chest. It was obvious both to Leaf and to N what Espeon was saying.

"If you think that I will leave my Trainer simply because you tell me to, you are a fool."

N looked at her. Leaf smiled.

The phone rang.

"You should answer that," N murmured, looking round at her. "Hopefully, I will see you some other time."

He walked away through the crowds of people, waving over his shoulder as he went. Leaf watched him leave.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "We'll meet again. I'll make sure of it."

The phone kept ringing. The beeps pierced the air and drove into her skull. She reached down and pulled the phone free from her pocket. The ID screen said 'Blue'.

_Blue's face was terrified, tears spilling down his cheeks. In his eyes, the reflected image of Leaf._

No. Not now. She would not recall those memories now.

Leaf turned and strode into the Gym, Espeon padding along at her heels. She was putting it off, she knew she would have to talk to him one day, but not then. Perhaps afterwards, when the plan was complete. When she had achieved her dream.


	3. Reshiram

**Hey, it's two updates in two days. How about that? And maybe if you ask really nicely, I can have the next chapter up tomorrow. Homework permitting, of course. Either way, this story's on a roll. I've figured everything out about the plot and the next chapter's almost done.**

**Well, anyway... Hope you enjoy it. If you have any feedback, please let me know.**

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><p>Leaf progressed rapidly through the Gym's, receiving the all of the region's badges in quick succession. The exertion on Espeon was hardly worth it. She, as well as the other Pokémon in Leaf's party, was too high a level. Any experience she got did nothing to level her up or increase her stats. The money that was received as reward was a mere pittance compared to what Leaf already owned. This was neither a challenge nor a joy. It was hardly an activity. It was merely something which had happened to her as she journeyed across Unova.<p>

The only thing which interested her was watching the progress of Team Plasma, as well as that silent trainer Hilbert. He had talent, she could see that. He was able to train his Pokémon and defeat each Gym Leader with skill. Almost as much skill as she had shown when she had first started out. Almost.

And N, who fascinated her. His genuine belief that the bond between Pokémon and trainers was detrimental to the Pokémon, along with his conviction that he could make a difference. This, coupled with his remarkable ability to speak to Pokémon he had just met, made him unlike anyone she had ever encountered in her life. He intrigued her, captivated her in a strange way. She found herself following him more and more.

He was the King of this Team Plasma, although obviously was subservient to Ghetsis. He even had those three servants, the ninjas. Leaf saw them following after him, blending into the shadows so that a lesser trained eye would be unable to notice them. Indeed, without Espeon she would have been unable to see them too. As it was, Leaf was both able to see N's trio of bodyguards as well as pass by them undetected, shrouded in Psychic energy that rendered her invisible. She simply sat and watched the events unfurl before her.

N telling Hilbert that he had been chosen, but for what remaining unexplained. N yelling at Professor Juniper. Hilbert gaining gym badge after gym badge, and defeating Pokémon trainer after Pokémon trainer. Getting to that point where everything would change. That one night, high up in the air, when dreams began to be set in motion.

That evening was cold and still, but the winds whipped at Leaf at the top of that tower. She stood with her back to the stairs, gazing out over the surrounding landscape. Unova stretched away beneath her. In the distance, the sea was shimmering under the light of the setting sun. Unova was on its own island, cut off from the rest of the world. Somewhere on that horizon, Leaf knew Kanto was still there. Mt Silver was still towering upwards, no doubt Red was still housed inside with his own Pokémon. All across the world, the various Elite Fours were preparing for new challenges. Possibly some of them were facing a strong Pokémon trainer at that very moment. Perhaps some new faces were being added to the Halls of Fame. People were buying Poké Balls, catching new creatures to add to their collections. Battling, training, competing in Pokémon Contests, in Pokéathlons. People were going about their lives, completely unaware that a lone trainer was standing atop a tower in the middle of nowhere, waiting for two others to join her.

She knew they would come. N had talked about reviving Reshiram, and he would do that here, on the ancient tower of legend. No doubt he saw it as fitting. And Hilbert would tag along, as he always did. They were so predictable. Leaf could have followed with her eyes closed. Team Plasma had broken into the base of the tower some time ago. It was only a matter of time before N reached her.

Ah.

Without turning her head, Leaf said, "Good evening, N."

The boy paused at the edge of the stairs. In his hand he clutched a round white orb. It seemed to pulsate slightly in the cool air. He recovered after a moment and gave a small smile.

"You are here to witness Reshiram coming to me?" he said, moving to the centre of that plateau on the tower's roof. Espeon watched him, her head turning to track his progress across the stone. Leaf kept looking out into the air. Below, she thought she could see Hilbert entering the tower. He would take longer to progress upwards. Team Plasma were waiting for him and would battle in an attempt to delay him.

"I am finally worthy," N was saying as he set the orb out on a pedestal. "And I am ready to summon Reshiram. The great dragon Pokémon of legend will come to me and we will change Unova and then the world."

"Mmm..."

Leaf glanced at her watch. She wished he would hurry up. She wanted to get to the Elite Four soon.

There was the sound of battle echoing from downstairs. Hilbert was making his way up to them. There was a strange sensation as if the air around her was quivering, making Leaf turn her head. The Light Stone was glowing brighter and brighter from its position on the pedestal. The air rippled outwards from it, adding to the wind that already billowed around them. Dust was swept up from the ground to whirl through the air. N was standing in the thick of it all, his face an expression of pure joy. This was finally happening.

Behind him, Leaf sat down on a broken column to take in the proceedings. She didn't find the summonings of legendary Pokémon interesting, but watching would take up some time. Somewhere down below, Hilbert was battling more Team Plasma grunts.

The light began to flash brighter and brighter, illuminating N, silhouetting his form. It seemed to take on a life of its own, becoming almost corporeal and seeming to flow from the orb itself. As Leaf watched, it began to take on the shape of a large winged creature. A gigantic, white dragon.

Espeon sat up straight, watching Reshiram materialise. Her fur bristled at the sensation. The formation of a legendary disturbed her Psychic abilities slightly, putting her on edge. She turned and leapt into her owner's lap, where she curled up into a ball and quickly fell asleep. Instinctively, Leaf wrapped her arms around the soft pink ball but kept her eyes on the sight in front of her. The dragon began to flicker into being.

Reshiram opened his mouth. Leaf could see that the back of its throat wasn't yet fully there and the stars were glinting through its ethereal flesh. Still, when it let out the large, trundling roar, it felt real enough. The entire building seemed to shake beneath it as it began to rise. Its wings flapped, thrusting air downwards against the two humans. Another bone-crunching roar caused the hairs on the back of N's neck to stand on end.

He raised his arms to either side, watching the magnificent sight in front of him. This legendary creature which would change everything. He raised his voice to be heard over the noise.

"Reshiram!" he shouted, giddy with excitement. The Pokémon answered with a roar directed full force at the minuscule humanoid. Below, the sounds of battle had ceased. Hilbert had passed all of them. Espeon peeked out from the crook of Leaf's arm, warily surveying the scene in front of her.

Boy and dragon stared at each other. The dragon's eyes were hard, speaking of a consciousness far older than anything that had gone before it. N's spoke of a young life, full of hope and plans and dreams. They fought each other. They both won.

Reshiram dipped lower in the air. N stepped closer. Leaf tilted her head to one side. Hilbert came to a stop at the top of the stairs.

The scene seemed to be going in slow motion. The boy and the dragon acknowledging each other, and coming to terms with each other. The girl surveying them cooly, stroking the cat in her arms. Hilbert stepped forward. His foot kicked a stone which skittered across the ground. At the sound, N turned round. His smile tugged up at the corner of his lips.

"What do you think, Hilbert?" he asked, waving a hand at Reshiram. "How do you like the beautiful form of the Pokémon who appears before and fights beside the hero that will lead the way to a new world?" Leaf sighed at this and felt her mind begin to drift off. It was always the same. A legendary Pokémon, a hero who had to save the world. Everyone was a hero for the Pokémon and every world needed to begin anew. After a while, they all began to drift into one another. She listened to the rest of N's speech, feeling that she should give him that much at least.

"Now, Reshiram and I will head to the Pokémon League and defeat the Champion! This will be the last of the Pokémon battles that hurt Pokémon so. A world for Pokémon alone... It's finally going to be a reality." He paused, his eyes glazing over. It was finally happening for him.

Then he straightened to his full height, glancing round at Leaf. "If you want to stop me, if either of you want to stop me, you must become a hero as well! When Reshiram's counterpart, Zekrom, recognises you, then you can try to stop us." He looked from Hilbert to Leaf, then back again. "I was once so sure that you would be the one to come against me Hilbert, I still am very certain. Nevertheless..." N's grey eyes drifted back to Leaf. "You have something about you, Leaf. A strange aura of power, determination, compassion. I do not doubt that you are more than worthy of Zekrom's acknowledgement. You may be worthy too."

He smiled and stepped backwards, towards Reshiram.

"Well, what will you do? My prediction... If the future that I see is true, one of you will meet Zekrom. The Pokémon with both of you believe in you so strongly... Will you be the ones who interfere with my formula for changing the world? If you want to protect the bonds between Pokémon and people, you must search for Zekrom. I'm sure it is waiting for you in the form of the Dark Stone."

His speech ended with another far off look. Then, N turned and climbed onto Reshiram's back. He looked down at the two trainers standing there. No words passed between them. Instead, N simply whispered to the dragon and he lifted up into the air. They watched him as he vanished into the night sky.

The silence was broken by two more people climbing the stairs.

"Hilbert! Did you see that thing that just flew off?"

Cheren, just as skinny and odd as before ran up to stand beside Hilbert. Just behind him followed Brycen the leader of the ice Gym in the city just below them. He glanced at Leaf and nodded. She had obtained his badge the day before. Cheren noticed her just then.

"Hey, it's you! What're you doing here?"

Leaf didn't answer him. Instead, she looked at Hilbert. Neither of them spoke, but it seemed like an entire saga passed between them in that look. Finally, Leaf said, "I shall see you in the future, Hilbert." She stepped towards him, tilting her head to whisper softly into his ear. "I shall wait at the Elite Four."

So saying, she turned and drew a Poké Ball. The large Pokémon which she released spread its wings in readiness and allowed her to mount. Behind her, Cheren let out a gasp. In her arms, Espeon snored.

"Fly," she murmured.

And so, the second dragon that night took off from the top of Dragonspiral tower. It had the same path as the first: straight to the Elite Four.

Victory road passed in a blur. She didn't pay attention to anything. The Elite Four of Unova was situated on the top of a harsh mountain. It's setup seemed similar to a temple, very different to the usual linear progression. Here, trainers were able to choose which Elite Four member they would go against first. Then, when all were defeated, the way to the champion would reveal itself. Of course, trainers were still not allowed out to the Pokémon Centre.

Leaf offered her Pokémon for healing, the last stop before the trial. More a formality than anything, as she not only had six superior Pokémon but an assortment of revives and potions so that she would never need another Pokémon Centre. As she was waiting, her phone began to rang. The beeping echoed through the small, silent room.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?"

Leaf glanced over her shoulder at the man who had spoken. Short, with red hair and bony elbows. He was carrying a toolbox and had the Pokémon Centre logo on his shirt. A maintenance man. Not uncommon. It must be time for this centre's yearly check.

"Hello, Tom," said the cheery nurse behind the counter. "How're things?"

"Good, Joy. Very good. You?"

The two started conversing. Leaf's Pokémon were resting in the machine, their HP filling up. The beeping from her pocket seemed to get louder and louder. It echoed round the room. It filled it.

_Her breath came in ragged gasps from her chest. The metal bands cut into her flesh, tight enough to leave deep welts. The remains of tears were on her cheeks, just beginning to evaporate. She had stopped crying. She knew it was useless to cry._

Leaf shook her head, trying to stop her mind. She needed Espeon. She needed the psychic energy to calm her down. To distract her.

_The man was laughing. His laughter hurt her ears. She needed to escape. She had to get out._

No! No, fight it! Not now, she couldn't lose now! The plan was so nearly complete!

_Blue was coming to save her. Blue was coming to rescue her. He was her only hope. She needed him. She needed him._

_Blue._

Her hand seemed to move of its own accord. It reached into a pocket and pulled out the phone. The caller ID blinked, but she didn't even look at it. She merely held it up to one ear.

There was a long silence on the phone. In the background, the nurse was gossiping about some Elite Four member. Leaf didn't register it. She just focussed on the phone pressed up against the side of her head.

After a few heart-stopping seconds, words crackled over the phone. "...Leaf?"

His voice was deep, deeper than she remembered. Leaf wondered what else had changed.

"Hello, Blue."


	4. Convergence

**Slightly longer chapter, and with lots of POV breaks. But important for plot and stuff.**

**And one last thing. Here's some fan art which made me laugh. Just take out the spaces. Unfortunately, I don't know the artist. Sorry:**

**http:/img4 (dot) gelbooru (dot) com/images/800/fe33ca516ad1c 09da8c4f8da0 30666d6 (dot) png?943146**

****If you have any comment or feedback or ways in which I could improve, please let me know.****

* * *

><p>"This... I... Is it really you?"<p>

Leaf held the phone against her ear, standing in the middle of that silent room. Behind her, the two people were still chatting merrily. Leaf barely registered them. "Yes," she said at last. "Yes, it's really me."

"Oh, thank God!" Blue's voice sounded elated, as though this was the best news he had ever received in his life. Leaf heard his voice coming in gasps now. She could imagine him clutching at his heart the way he always used to do. Or did he still do that? Maybe he had developed another habit.

"Leaf, I haven't spoken to you in years," Blue was saying. Yes, his voice was breathy now, the shock was reaching him. He was probably having to sit down. "I thought for sure you'd changed your number or lost your phone or... Or died." On this last word, his voice cracked a little.

Leaf did not smile. "I was breathing the last time I checked."

There was a choked laugh. "Yeah, but... Leaf, what happened to you? I haven't seen you since-" He broke off.

_The chair had been cold and hard against Leaf's back. Straps had cut into her flesh, tight enough to leave huge welts which did not fade for days. Her tears had run down her cheeks hot and fast, until she reached a point where she realised they would not help. They were salty. They stung her cracked and bleeding lips. Behind her, the man laughed._

"I'm sorry I left you like that. I... I had to get away." Leaf's voice dropped to a murmur, and there was a clear sense of shame. Embarrassment. Fear. It was the voice of a child who had recently learned of all the suffering in the world. A weak voice. However, her face was the same steely expression as always. It was at odds with her words. She turned and moved to stand in the doorway, facing out.

On the other side of the line, Blue had to be hanging his head. When he next spoke, Leaf could hear the tears. "Leaf... Look, I know that all this stuff has happened to you and I know that everything's gone to Hell and I know how you were treated." He took a shuddering breath. "But please... Where are you? Nobody's seen you anywhere. It's like you've vanished."

Leaf's mouth twisted into a half smile. "I think I have, Blue. I've vanished. Disappeared completely."

"What? Leaf, what are you talking about? Where are you? What happened? Why has it taken you so long to answer the phone? What's going on?" Blue's voice was angry now, rising.

Leaf didn't react. "You'll see soon enough, Blue."

Blue was silent for a long moment. "Leaf? What happened to you? You sound so different..." He tailed off.

Leaf frowned. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. Her knuckles clutching the phone were turning white. "We all change, Blue," she spat into the phone. "Some just change more than others." Blue began to speak again, but Leaf flicked the phone shut and cut him off. Weren't her Pokémon healed yet? What was taking so long?

With a scowl that would have cracked stone, she turned and marched into the Pokémon Centre.

000

On the other side of the world, at the back of a Pokémon Gym, a boy was staring at the silent phone in his hand.

Leaf? What had happened to her?

_He was fighting to reach her. His Pokémon were battling against everything coming their way. The corridor stretched in front of him. That door, barricaded and locked. She was behind that door. But he would get her out. He would save her._

Blue began to pace back and forth across the Gym floor. Behind him, the various Gym trainers watched him warily. They had never seen him like this.

He was thinking furiously. Where was she? Where on earth could she be? Think. Think.

That conversation in the background. Bits of it had drifted in when he'd been talking to her. What had been said?

There had been someone named Joy. And a man named Timothy. A Pokécentre's yearly check. She was near civilisation, then. But where? Think. What else had been said? That woman, Joy, she'd been talking about someone else. A trainer. Someone who used Dark Pokémon. Someone strong. What had his name been?

"Grimsley," Blue murmured, frowning in thought. "I know that name."

There was a long pause as he thought. Then realisation dawned.

"Unova."

000

Battles blurred into one another. Over time, they all looked the same. Some stood out slightly, but most were so monotonous. No variation at all.

Leaf settled down on a chair at the back of that Elite Four and waited. The battles had been quick, but they were not important. Not this time. For her plan, she merely had to wait, and...

N entered the Elite Four. Without pause, he ran for the nearest steps to his first opponent. Minutes passed. N emerged and proceeded to the next member. Then the next. Then the next. Then he descended to face the champion.

Leaf did not move. She wasn't even noticed. Instead, she waited.

Hilbert arrived soon. She smiled. This was who she had waited for. She got to her feet and moved over to him.

"Hello," she said as she approached. Hilbert looked at her.

"Hello," he replied.

Leaf smiled again, stroking Espeon. The cat raised its head and directed its penetrating gaze at Hilbert. The gem in its forehead pulsed.

The boy's eyes rolled up into his head and his legs gave way. There was a thump as he collapsed to the floor. Leaf smiled wider. Things were going perfectly to plan. She knelt down, let go of Espeon, and started to go through the unconscious trainer's bag.

She emerged with a black orb.

The Dark Stone.

000

_Leaf's head was hanging limply. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything and was feeling feint._

_The sound of Pokémon cries from outside the door of her prison roused her slightly. She raised her head and looked at the door._

_Blue?_

_She opened her mouth to call out to him, but no words came out. Just a small, wavering croak._

_Behind her, the voice laughed again._

_In front of her, the door burst open._

000

Blue was flying over the mountains, forests, and seas. The wild countryside where even the most experienced trainers didn't go. If his Pidgeott were to collapse and crash land here then he would never be found. But he didn't care. He had to go forward, to Unova.

He had to get to Leaf.

Leaf.

000

The elevator came to life, whirring in the stone. Leaf stepped on board and let herself be lowered down to face the champion.

She could hear voices.

N and Alder, the Unova Champion, were conversing. N had won, that much was obvious. The way he was shouting about his dream and the new world could only mean he had defeated the flame-haired man in front of him. Leaf stepped off the elevator and walked towards them. N turned, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Leaf?" he breathed. "So, Hilbert did not..."

In reply, Leaf held up the Dark stone. It was heavy in her palm.

He smiled. "Yes. You are the one. Reshiram is respondingto that stone..." He stepped forward, then pulled up short. "Stop! This is not the place for legendary dragons." N's voice sounded wild now, as he cried, "From the ground rise up! The castle of Team Plasma! Surround the Pokémon League!"

At his command, the ground began to shake. There was a loud rumbling as of an earthquake. Then a large edifice erupted from the surrounding soil, racing upwards to the sky. A large castle of dark, foreboding stone. Windows stared down at her like so many glistening eyeballs. Thick walkways thundered down and connected to the stage where they were standing.

Leaf raised her eyebrows. An impressive feat.

N turned to look at her. His face had a tinge of madness to it when he smiled. "What has just appeared is Team Plasma's castle. The king's words will resound from the heights to all below. You must come to the castle, as well. Everything will be decided there. Whether Pokémon will be liberated from people, or whether Pokémon and people will live together... We will decide it now."

000

_The man stepped forward, in front of the chair where Leaf was confined. She blinked out and saw a boy. Brown hair, with a Jolteon standing behind him. Their eyes met._

000

The castle was long and winding. Leaf walked slowly, her head turning this way and that. She saw Plasma Grunts scurrying to and fro in various states of composure. One or two were not in uniform, indicating that they had been caught unawares by this sudden occurrence.

She paused at one room which was full of toys. She knew it was N's bedroom. It smelled of him. And the toys reminded her of him. His innocence. It was all so inncocent.

"He is fascinating," Leaf commented, stooping to run her fingers over a train set in the middle of the floor. Espeon gave a mewl.

They continued climbing. Girl and Pokémon, inside that strange edifice of power at the Unova Pokémon League. The Dark Stone pulsated in readiness for what awaited them.

On the top floor, Ghetsis was waiting. He turned to face Leaf as she approached, frowning slightly. "You are not who I expected," he said, petulantly. "Nevertheless, be warned, holder of the Dark Stone. The King of this castle is the strongest trainer in the world. He is-"

"Do not talk about things you do not understand, you ignorant little man." Leaf's words were snarled at Ghetsis, making the man take a hasty step backwards. She gave him an icy glare, locking their gazes together. "The strongest trainer in the world? I apologise, but that title belongs to me. Step aside so that I may put an end to this little act of yours."

Ghetsis spluttered out an enraged, "What-?", but Leaf swept past him and into the throne room before he had a chance to form a coherent sentence.

In her hand, the Dark Stone throbbed.

000

_Pokémon glared, screeching. Electricity flashed, fire burned. The boy and the man glared at each other as the Pokémon leapt. The girl watched, her eyes wide and terrified. The metal cut deeper into her skin as she twisted to follow what was happening._

_The man fell. He lay on the ground, limp and unmoving. Burns covered his clothes, rips and scrapes from the battle. On his back, a large red capital R._

_The boy ran forward and tugged at switches on the side of the chair. With a hiss, the bands came loose. The girl slid free. The boy enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close to him._

_Into her hair, he murmured her name over and over._

000

Blue skimmed over the land, pressed tight to his Pidgeot's back. He was pushing his Pokémon to the limit, he knew that. Yet he didn't pull bak. He was there. He was in Unova. And the Elite Four...

He touched down.

With a flick of his Poké Ball, Blue recalled his Pokémon. Then he ran.

000

Espeon tossed her head, sending out Psychic energy at her opponent. Focussed like a bullet, it pierced the Reshiram's flesh and sent it hurling backwards. As the dragon crashed into the wall, she yawned.

N kept pushing, his brow set. He could not lose this. He had to keep going and win. For the good of all Pokémon. He was the hero of legend, and he had to fulfill his dreams.

000

Blue stooped over the boy. He was tall, with dark brown hair stuffed under a cap. Poké Balls were at his waist, but his bag was open and items were scattered about the floor surrounding him. He had been stashed behind one of the staircases, out of the way. Blue would not have noticed him if he hadn't been searching.

"Hey," he said, shaking the boy gently. The boy opened his eyes blearily, looking up at him. Blue smiled. "Hi. I think you fainted. Listen, I'm looking for someone. Maybe you could help."

000

N stood, facing Leaf across the ruin of a throne room. His Pokémon, confined to their Poké Balls, were all defeated. He was defeated. Leaf had won.

He stepped forward, his head bowed in admittance of his loss.

That was when the door burst open and Ghetsis swept into the room. His eyes were boring into N, a cold fury in every fibre of his being.

"After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me?" he thundered, his voice echoing throughout the room. N took a step back, his eyes wide in shock. "You good-for-nothing boy!" Now, Ghetsis turned to Leaf. He was sneering. "Well. Since you defeated him, I suppose you deserve to know the truth." He cleared his throat and adopted the same voice had had used to make that speech in Acumula Town so many days beforehand. "To start with, I spurred N into pursuing truth. The reason we reawakened the legendary Pokémon now was to give my Team Plasma more power! Power to control the fearful masses! I-"

Leaf flicked her hand. Espeon sent out a blast of energy. Ghetsis choked, clutching at his throat. He had been struck dumb.

She stepped towards him, an aura of superiority flowing from her. "You honestly think I could not see through you?" she muttered. "You think I did not understand from the start the way in which you were manipulating N? I have experienced more than you could ever hope to. I have seen more of this world than you would imagine. Do not think that I can be fooled as easily as the average layman in the streets. You are nothing to me." Her eyes narrowed, staring Ghetsis in the eye. He looked fearful. Stepped back.

"Someone like you, who manipulates people for their own ends, has no right to inhabit this earth. You have no right to use Pokémon. You have no right to talk to me, to talk to N."

Leaf's voice was low and dark. "You will leave," she told him. "You horrible, sniveling little creep of a man. You will leave and never try to talk to me or anyone else again. I can, and will, squash you beneath my heel."

She hissed again.

"Go."

000

Blue and Hilbert thundered down the elevator. The Elite Four were just behind them, their Pokémon recently healed. At the sight of the Castle looming in front of them, the Elite Four gasped. Blue leapt off the elevator and pelted towards it. Somewhere in there, he knew, was Leaf.

000

Leaf and N stood by the large hole in the wall. Through it, the sea could be seen twinkling below. N released a fully revived Reshiram which hovered in the air. He stood watching it, caught up in his own thoughts.

"You're my superior," he said finally. "The bond you and your Pokémon share is unlike everything I've ever seen. There was no way I could have measured up. I mean, I'm just _some freak without a human heart._" His face twisted as said this, remembering what Ghetsis had shouted as he left, after Espeon had released her hold on his throat.

Leaf reached over and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that." Her eyes were downcast. "You are not a freak. You cannot be held accountable for what other people have done. It was Ghetsis who made you like this."

N looked up. There was a small smile playing around his lips. The sun was rising and light was starting to pick out his features in perfect clarity.

"Leaf. You said you had a dream. Back in Nimbasa."

"Yes. What of it?"

N turned to face her fully. A smile stretched across his face now. He reached out and took her hands in his, clasping them tightly to his chest.

"Make them a reality! Dreams and ideals give you the power to change the world! If anyone can do it, it's you!"

Leaf blinked. "My dream?"

"Yes."

"You want me to fulfill my dream?"

"I do."

The girl's eyes fluttered downwards. N looked at her, taking in everything about her. In that light her face had a soft, other-worldly charm. She was really quite pretty.

Just as he thought that, Leaf moved her head up. She stepped closer, wrapping her fingers through his as she did so.

Their lips met.

000

_The dungeon had been cold and dark. Leaf couldn't remember how long she'd been left down there. She was weak, needing Blue's support as they made their way out. The sunlight burned her eyes. She collapsed into his arms again, burying her face in his chest. Blue had summoned his Pidgeot and the two of them had flown to Pallet town. It had been almost midnight when the two friends had returned home._

000

Blue thundered up the stairs of that castle. Hot on his heels were the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of Unova, along with a few trainers that Hilbert had been friends with. A skinny boy with glasses, and a blonde girl with a ridiculous green hat.

Blue's eyes narrowed as they reached the top floor. That door. That single solitary door. This was't the first time he had broken a door down to get to Leaf.

000

The two trainers stood in the morning light, softly kissing. It was the kiss of two people with no experience, just learning how. Their eyes were closed. Their hands had fallen to their sides, at a loss for what to do.

Or at least, N's hands were at a loss. Leaf's knew exactly what was planned. One hang limp, the other moved. It reached into the bag at her hip and withdrew a Poké Ball. A very strange Poké Ball: black and purple and covered in wires, rivets, and reinforcing bars. Casually, as if she did this every day, Leaf tossed the ball out of the window. It hit Reshiram.

With a loud swishing sound, the white dragon was sucked into the ball.

"What?" N broke away from Leaf's embrace just in time to see his Reshiram disappear. The ball drifted over to Leaf. It hovered by her hand, then vanished. Sent to her PC.

N looked at her. His eyes were wide.

"Why-?" he asked, his hands shaking.

Lead raised her eyes to meet his. She blinked. Then she smiled.

000

_Too tired to go back to her own room, Leaf had stayed with Blue that night. The children collapsed on the bed, curled up in each other's arms. Blue fell asleep with the smell of Leaf's hair thick in his nostrils. When he awoke, she had gone. She was nowhere to be seen, nobody had seen her arrive or leave. There was no evidence that she'd even been back. He tried calling her, but she did not answer. The next day, he called again. Then again. Then again. He refused to stop until she answered. She would not answer for eight years._

000

Blue barreled into the door a third time, finally managing to break it open a fraction. The horde of people piled through, looking about them.

Leaf was nowhere to be found.

The only person in that room was N.

He was lying by a large hole in the wall, his eyes closed. He was unconscious. If they were to look out of the window they may have just been able to make out a small speck on the horizon. It was heading in the direction of Kanto.

* * *

><p><strong>And with that, we have done with the four chapter of exposition. Plot will start to really get underway from here on out.<strong>

**Thought this would all take place in Unova, did you? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my heart belongs to Kanto. However, my heart also belongs to N, so he's going to be here a lot too, don't worry.**

**Thanks for making it this far.**


	5. The Beginning

**Thanks for reading this far. If you have any feedback or ways in which I can improve, please let me know.**

**And here: some fan art I found of my favourite rival. Artist is Redpoppy on Zerochan.**

**http:/static (dot) zerochan (dot) net/full/01/41/612051 (dot) jpg**

* * *

><p>A week had passed since that eventful day at the Unova Elite Four. Ghetsis and the Seven Sages had all been arrested. They were currently in a top security prison in Northern Unova and awaiting trial. N had been revived, but not arrested. Ghetsis admitted that he had nothing to do with any of it. In his words, N's only crime was being 'too gullible for his own good'. This, coupled with a testimony from Hilbert, had kept him out of jail. No criminal charges were pressed on him and none were likely to be pressed, but he was still shaken from the entire ordeal.<p>

It was a hot, humid morning when the Elite Four, N, Hilbert, Cheren, and Blue had gathered at the Pokémon League at the edge of Unova. They sat round a table that had been rigged up and placed in the centre of the main room, all four staircases branching off from it. The castle was still there, looking over them. N didn't know how to remove it. The entire debacle had been engineered by Team Plasma's scientists, all of whom had managed to escape from the police along with the Ninja Trio, N's secretive guards.

The room was silent, then Alder sighed and leaned forward, resting one elbow on the large table. "So let me get this straight," he said gruffly. "This girl- Leaf, was it? This girl was from Kanto, did the Indigo Leage there eight years ago, then went missing. Nobody heard from her until she turned up here a month ago. Then, she waltzed through all of Unova, taking on the Pokémon challenge here and passing it easily. She waits up here for N and Hilbert to arrive, knocks Hilbert out, then steals his Dark Orb. She follows N, defeats him as easily as blinking using that one Espeon of hers, catches the legendary Pokémon, Zekrom, and terrifies Ghetsis into giving himself up. Then she steals Reshiram, knocks N out and disappears again? Is that everything that has happened?"

A series of nods flickered around the table.

"I can't trace her. She's not answering her phone any more," Blue sighed. He had been calling her every few hours but she hadn't answered. Still, it had taken her eight years to answer last time. Perhaps it would take eight years this time, too. He wouldn't stop until he managed talked to her again.

"Well, I've been contacting the other regions Champions," Alder said. "And I have a little news. It turns out that this girl's been going from country to country taking every Elite Four challenge. She's in Halls of Fame across the land." Everyone exchanged glances. That wasn't at all surprising, given her strength. They looked back round again when Alder continued to talk. "And that's not all," he was saying. "It turns out that our girl's a collector."

"What does she collect?" This was Cheren, who'd been following the events of the last few days with a feeling of mild annoyance that he'd been left out for so long.

"In short: Legendary Pokémon." The Unova Champion smiled slightly. "Yes, it turns out that Reshiram and Zekrom are the last in a long string of Pokémon."

"What?" Blue's eyes were narrowed as he spoke, leaning across the table to Alder. "What's been happening?"

Alder spread his fingers. "I can't be sure, but there have been sightings of a girl with various Pokémon. Skinny, with brown hair, and an Espeon. Someone saw her with Moltres in Kanto. A researcher named Eusine witnessed her catching Suicune in Johto. A group named Team Galactic attempted to capture three Legendary Pokémon from the Sinnoh Lakes, but she is reported to have caught them all before any Galactic members had a chance. She was seen leaving the scene each time. She was also seen with what appeared to be Groudon in Hoenn. Those are only the ones which have been witnessed, who knows how many more she caught."

Blue was smiling slightly. He gave a small laugh. "So, she's hunting the Legendaries? That's why she's been gone so long. Chasing up a dream of power."

Alder's eyes narrowed. "Blue. She is also a _thief_."

N jerked slightly. He had been hunched over the table, his hair hanging into his face. He had not been in the best of states lately, what with everything that had happened. He'd been mostly on the verge of catalepsy, only speaking a few snatches of words every now and then. Now though, he raised his head to peer out with bloodshot eyes. "She took Reshiram."

"And many more besides," Alder nodded. "She has stolen Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Dalgia and Kryogre. Trainers reported that they fainted and when they were roused their Pokémon had been stolen. Exactly the same as what happened to Hilbert and N."

Blue leant backwards, running his fingers through his hair. What had happened to Leaf, that quiet girl from Pallet Town? His rival's little sister? The girl who'd followed him everywhere, who'd begged for help with her Pokémon training? She was a thief, now?

It was impossible.

He buried his face in his hands. This was too much, he needed to go back to his Gym. Whatever his childhood friend was doing could wait another day.

000

Deep underground, Leaf had returned to her family. She strode through the corridors, her path lit by buzzing fluorescent lights set into the roof. The floors and walls were bare, cold concrete. Her feet clunked with every step she took. Ahead of her, a face appeared from a doorway. Young and fleshy with dark red hair and eyes to match.

"You're back," he said, stepping out into the open. He was wiry and a head taller than Leaf. He fell into step beside her. "Did you get the last ones?"

"If I didn't then I would not have returned."

The boy smiled. They turned a corner. Ahead of them, a group of people turned their heads at the approach. Leaf stopped to survey them.

"Have the devices been placed?" she asked them.

A short woman at the front gave a nervous head-bob. "Yes. One in each town across the world."

Leaf nodded. Then she and the red-haired boy carried on down the corridor. "Things have been progressing, then?" she asked.

"Rapidly. We will be able to begin in sixteen hours."

She raised one eyebrow. "Blue is not currently at his Gym. Give him time to return and then start the proceedings."

The boy switching on a device that looked like a walky talky. He muttered Leaf's instructions into it before flicking it off. They were now standing outside a large metal door covered in rivets and thick bars. There was a lock requiring a fingerprint scan as well as three different 10-digit codes. When these were entered, there was a loud grinding of barricading slabs being pulled back into the wall. The door swung open.

From the cavernous room beyond the door came electronic beeps, the sound of bubbling liquid, and the occasional, muffled cry of a Pokémon. Leaf smiled. The plan was almost complete.

"I shall be in here for the foreseeable future," she said. "Please ensure that the rest of the plan is enforced. I will be back out when my research is through to instruct you further."

The boy gave a crooked smile. "I will ensure nobody disturbs you."

She nodded. "Thank you, Silver." With that, Leaf stepped into the darkness and let the door swing shut behind her. There was the sound of bolt locking the door against intruders and she was left alone in the darkness.

000

Blue's mind was still reeling as he prepared to leave for Kanto. His Pidgeot was standing a few feet away from him, idly pecking at the ground, but he couldn't bring himself to mount. He was still trying to come to terms with what he'd heard about Leaf.

"I rescued you from Team Rocket when you were held prisoner," he muttered to himself. "Now you're a thief, just like them? You knock trainers out and steal their Pokémon? What happened to you, Leaf? What the _fuck_ happened?"

Pidgeot nuzzled its beak against Blue's shoulder. The Gym Leader sighed, patting the bird's neck as he did so. It was time to move. He'd been away from his Gym too long and had received a call that morning saying that someone was waiting to challenge him. It was definitely time to go. _Now_.

"Come on," he said, walking round to stand the other side of Pidgeot. "Another long flight back. You up for it?" The bird gave a small coo, making Blue smile. He stepped onto a nearby rock, preparing to lever himself onto the Pokemon's back.

"Wait."

The small voice made Blue stop and glance over his shoulder. Just behind him, his head bent and his hands in his pockets, stood N. Blue turned round to face him.

"I... I was wondering if..." He tailed off, looking nervous. Then, so quickly Blue was surprised he managed to understand, "I-was-wondering-if-maybe-I-could-come-with-you-to-Kanto-please!"

The two boys stood in silence. N was staring at his feet, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Blue was standing with one hand on Pidgeot, watching N curiously. He'd never met anyone quite like this guy. N was the same age as Blue, he might even be a little older although it was hard to tell. And yet, he had a strange air of someone incredibly young. Like that a child of five or ten. He always looked a little lost and confused, and reminded Blue of a kid on his first day at school who hadn't made any friends yet. It was odd. Blue didn't know if N had _always_ been like this, or if it was a result of losing Reshiram. If it was, then Leaf had a lot of explaining- He shook his head, trying to stop thinking of Leaf's actions. Unfortunately, N saw this and, thinking it was a denial of his request, began to deflate.

"That's fine," he said with a weak smile. "I know you must be busy. And there probably isn't enough room on your Pidgeot for two anyway-"

"_No!_" Blue stepped forward, clapping N on the shoulder. "No, that was about something else. I- Sure, you can come to Kanto. Might be fun to have someone to talk to on the way back."

N looked up, his eyes wide. Then he gave a smile so dazzling that Blue couldn't help but smile himself. "Thank you!" N said, rushing up to Pidgeot. Then, to the bird, he added, "And thank _you_. I'm sorry if it's too much of a strain for- Oh, really? Okay then. Thanks anyway."

Blue raised one eyebrow, watching N scramble onto his Pokémon's back. "So... You really can talk to Pokémon, huh?"

N nodded. "Since I was a kid. Father used to bring me all these Pokémon to talk to." His smile flickered and faded. "They'd always had such horrible lives."

Blue swung himself up behind N, nodding as he did so. "I guess that's why you thought it was detrimental for Pokémon and trainers to be together?"

"Yes."

There was a silence. Blue broke it by saying, "Fly."

Pidgeot spread its wings and pushed upwards into the sky. N yelped and wrapped his arms around the bird's neck. "I've never been flying before!" he called over the rushing sound of Pidgeot's wings.

Blue laughed. "Well then, you're in for a treat."

000

An impatient man sat on the steps outside Viridian Gym, drumming his hands against his thigh. He was short and squat, with a crooked nose and slicked back hair. He wore a line of battle-worn Pokéballs at his belt and was, at that moment, tossing one ball from hand to hand as he looked up at the sky. The Viridian Leader had been away on business and was yet to arrive. He had been waiting there for almost an hour.

Beside him, a female Ace Trainer was waiting for the Leader as well. She was one of the Gym Trainers who trained under Blue and was growing rather impatient also. Blue had been gone for almost ten days and he'd left without saying anything and without any explanation. What he was doing was a mystery to her and all the other trainers. He'd yelled something about a phone call as he'd ran out of the door, but that was it and a fat lot of good it did them. What on earth were they meant to tell challengers like this guy?_ 'Sorry sir, but you can't challenge the Gym Leader. He ran away yesterday for no reason, but he might be back any moment so just wait here for a bit.'_

The man, whose name was Gord, got to his feet and pointed at the sky. "Is that him?" Just appearing from the distant sky was a speck which got larger and larger. A bird, carrying something on his back. Salma squinted at it, trying to make it out. Finally, she nodded.

"Yes, that's his Pidgeot. Finally, he's back." She got to her feet and moved to the Gym Door. "Will you wait inside or outside?" she queried, her hand on the door knob.

Gord got to his feet. "I think I'd like to meet this guy as soon as possible. Outside."

Salma nodded and pushed her way through the door. The Pidgeot grew larger and larger. Then, with a great fluttering of wings that whipped dust up from the ground, it landed. Two people slid off it's back.

Teenagers, roughly eighteen. The taller one with brown hair and eyes, who seemed to own the Pidgeot. Then a shorter, scruffier one, with green hair in a ponytail and an incredibly nervous expression. Gord marched to stand in front of the brunette.

"You're Blue?" he asked tetchily.

The boy nodded. "Yes. I take it you're the one here to challenge me?"

Gord nodded. Then he glanced at the other kid who hastily looked down at his feet. "Who's this one?"

"A colleague from Unova." Blue stepped up to the door. "Now then, are we going to stand here bickering or are we going to fight?"

000

Silver stood in the control room, surrounded by computer screens, keypads, wires and switches. The screens showed the interiors of Gyms across all four Regions of the world, as well as the Elite Fours. In front of him, a line of scientists were ready on keyboards to flick switches and put the plan into action.

There were a line of lights along the top of the screen: forty-four in all. At that moment, only forty three were switched on, showing a dim red glow. Then, the final light flickered to life.

Silver raised a microphone to his lips. When he spoke, his message was carried down through optical cables, bouncing across the globe at the speed of light. It branched into forty-four different signals and reached forty-four different ears and carried his instruction to forty-four different brains.

He said only one word. "Initiate."

Forty-four people reached for a Pokéball.

In that room, sixteen people sprang into action, their fingers flying across the keyboards. Lights flashed, screens flickered, wires snapped with electricity.

It had begun.


	6. A Desired Outcome

**Took a while to upload this one. I just kept tweaking and tweaking and even now I don't think it feels right. But I need it out of the way for the next ones, which I like.**

**ANyway, here you go. If you can help me improve, let me know.**

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><p>At three o'clock in the afternoon, Kanto time, Silver spoke those words into the microphone. All across the world battles started.<p>

Brock was against a skinny girl, her water Pokémon blasting his rocks into oblivion. The water splashed against his face as he smiled. At long last, a challenge had come his way.

Misty was fighting a boy with piercing blue eyes. His bug Pokémon had already obliterated all of the Trainers in her Gym and she was quickly following suit.

Lt. Surge had gritted his teeth as his opponent's Mightyena tore through his own Pokémon's defences.

In Violet City, Falkner's bird Pokémon were each hit by colossal jolts of electricity from a Raichu. One by one, they fell and hit the floor of his Gym.

Whitney could already feel herself tearing up as her Miltank was struck by a low kick which sent it reeling. A sniffle escaped her lips.

Claire felt herself bristling. The twins in front of her were taking down her Dragon Pokémon in next to no time. It was impossible. They couldn't be this good, they couldn't.

In Hoenn, Flannery was cursing under her breath. Her fire Pokémon were no match for her opponent, whose Gyarados was tearing them to shreds. She straightened her back, drew her next Pokémon and continued the battle.

The Psychic twins, Tata and Liza, smiled at each other. This was fun. Their double battle technique was winning. But even as they smiled, their opponent reached down and sent out an Umbreon. The battle quickly turned the other way.

In Hearthrome City, Fantina was conversing animatedly in her native tongue with her opponent. Her ghost Pokémon had fainted a while ago.

Candice smiled warmly at her opponent. They had passion about this battle, that much was evident. A roar of fire ripped past her, melting her ice Pokémon in an instant. She laughed.

In Striaton Gym, the three brothers were rather perplexed. Their opponent had requested that she be able to battle all of them. In her words, the Trio Badge would not feel earned if any Gym Leader was left undefeated.

Burgh was scowling. The man across from him obviously had no taste. What was he thinking, insulting both the Gym Leader's artwork and dress sense? His bug Pokémon would show him. As soon as they stopped fainting, of course.

The Battles raged in every Gym across the world. The end result would be the same everywhere. The Gym Leader would lose and a multitude of badges would be won. That wasn't the desired outcome.

000

Silver raised his microphone, flicking a switch at its base. This message was sent to only four people. "Go to final Pokémon."

The four trainers each competing against the various Elite Four Champions ensured that their moves missed. They then, in a synchronised motion witnessed only by Silver and the scientists, allowed their penultimate Pokémon to faint.

At the Indigo Plateau, Lance drew himself up to his full height, swept his hand in a regal gesture, and barked at his Dragonite to attack. Across the room, the woman with the long, blonde hair folded her arms nonchalantly. Her Steelix shot forward, ramming its metal body into Dragonite. The two Pokémon shot across the room to land in a heap. As one, they got up and faced each other. They moved again.

Steven's Metagross barrelled into his opponent's Seismitoad. The creatures wrestled momentarily, before the water Pokémon was hurled away. As it flew through the air, it released a blast of water from its mouth which hit the Metagross square in the head. The steel Pokémon fainted and Steven withdrew. Then, he sent out Skarmory and the fight continued.

Cynthia's Milotic was caught in a tussle with her opponent's Haunter. Her opponent, a man with square shoulders and a pronounced chin, was clenching his teeth. From his stance, she determined he was desperate to win. However, he was on his last Pokémon and she was not. It was only a matter of time before he fell. Then he would train and come against her a second time. She would be waiting for him when he did.

Alder gave a booming laugh as his Vanillice shot another blizzard at the boy in front of him. This match would end soon, that was for certain. Still, this boy had talent to get this far. And his Pokémon were pretty powerful. Maybe Alder could give the kid some tips when this was all done.

Back in the Underground room, Silver counted down again. At exactly five minutes past three the Elite Four Champions won their battles. They had sustained damage, of course, but they had won. There would not be a new face added to the Hall of Fame that day.

Silver smiled again. The next stage of the plan would go into effect in a few minutes.

000

The room was quiet and cool. That far below the earth it should have been hot, due to the proximity to the earth's mantle and layers of insulating rock, but ice Pokémon were kept at hand to ensure a pleasant temperature.

Leaf was standing in front of a computer screen. She was inserting the final Pokéball: the product of her trip to Unova. On the screen flickered the image of Reshiram. She tapped a few buttons and it vanished. Gone to join the other Legendaries.

Somewhere in the distance there came the roar of a Pokémon just released from captivity. The questioning sound of a creature who knows it is in a prison far worse than what it has ever expected. One that is angry, attempting to escape. At Leaf's feet, Espeon's eyes flashed. There was a crash, as of a Pokémon collapsing in a faint. Silence reigned once more.

Leaf began to hum then: a slow tune which she had picked up somewhere in her travels. Still humming, she tripped down the room. It stretched out on either side of her, going on and on into blackness. Her trophy room.

000

Lance nodded and withdrew his Dragonite. He stepped forward to the blonde woman, extending a hand for her to shake. "Well done. I have not had such a challenge in a long time."

"You flatter me," the woman smiled, revealing a crooked incisor. "I shall train and come back stronger. Perhaps then I will defeat you."

"Perhaps you will. Now though, I suggest we heal your Pokémon. Will you walk with me to the Pokécenter?"

The woman nodded and together the two of them descended through the Pokémon League. Along the way, the other Elite Four members joined them. All of them congratulated the woman on her having gotten that far, and offered their sympathies that she had lost at the final hurdle.

The woman smiled and nodded, but did not speak more than a few words. The Elite Four acknowledged that she was furious that she'd lost, but was hiding behind a calm facade. They could never have guessed at the reality. The truth was that she was listening to the chip in her hear, awaiting any further instructions.

The nurse behind the counter of the Pokémon Center looked up when they entered and smiled. She moved to wait for them to come to the counter. Lance stood to one side, allowing the challenger to go first. She stepped up and handed over six Poké Balls. They were highly polished and neat. It was as if she had just recently received them. Lance stood just by her right shoulder and looked askance at these Poké Balls. He didn't know why, but something seemed off. He thought for a moment, then shook his head. She merely took care of her Poké Balls, that was all. It was a commendable act, so many people did no such thing.

The nurse let the Pokémon rest, then handed the six balls back to the trainer. She stepped back, arranging them on her belt. As she did so, she casually moved her hand to her other pocket. Inside was a small, grey device which had a transmitter and a switch.

With slow, steady fingers, she switched it on.

The first of the Forty-Four green lights came on just above Silver's head.

000

"I've never been in a Pokémon Center before," N said. He was sticking close behind Blue and had been looking around at everything in Viridian City with an intense curiosity. Blue glanced back at him.

"Really?" he said sceptically. "Not once?"

N shook his head. "Most Pokémon I only used once, then released. If any needed healing, I used Full Restores, Revives, Ethers, things like that. Ghetsis didn't want me to go outside where I might meet people much." He paused, looking at a Jigglypuff sitting in on corner. "Who's is that?"

Blue glanced over and shrugged. "It's been there as long as I remember. I think one of the nurses owns it."

N nodded. Then he wandered over to talk to it. Blue watched him and couldn't help but smile. It really was uncanny how he got on with Pokémon. He was talking to Jigglypuff, but didn't seem tired at all. Still smiling, he sidled up to the counter. The trainers from his Gym had already healed all their Pokémon and were waiting for him outside. He handed over his six Poké Balls. The man beside him coughed slightly, then swore under his breath.

Turning, Blue recognised him. "Hello, again," he said to the man who had just beaten him and earned the Viridian Gym badge. "Good battle by the way. You have remarkable technique."

The man nodded. He was busy punching some numbers on a phone he held in his gnarled hand. "Can't get any bloody signal in here," he said, mostly to himself.

Blue nodded. "Yes, the reception's bad in Poké Centers. You could try outside. Oh, thanks."

He took the Poké Balls back from the nurse just as the man swore loudly and shoved his phone back in his pocket. Blue didn't notice, but as he did so, the man flicked a switch on a device in his pocket.

"I'll just have to fly over and meet him." Again, the man was talking to himself. Blue watched him as he strode out of the Poké Center. When he and N next exited, he was a decreasing speck in the air as he flew to wherever it was he was going.

"Strange man," N commented as they walked.

Blue looked over. "You get weird sorts all over. I've seen plenty who act like him. Strength certainly doesn't bring manners."

"No, I don't mean that." N was scratching at the back of his head, trying to work out what exactly he was trying to say. "No, I mean, it was his Pokémon."

"They seemed perfectly fine to me."

"Yes... But it was the way they _acted_ with him."

Blue paused outside the Gym door, looking curiously at N. "What do you mean?"

The other boy's hands flailed in the air as he tried to express what he was thinking. "I mean... All the other Pokémon I've encountered have all spoken during the battles. They've talked to their opponents, mostly about their trainers. It's how I know whether Pokémon trainers are kind or not. And _his_... Well, they were silent. I mean, they cried out when they were attacked, but those were just _cries_. There were no _words_. They didn't _say_ anything."

The two boys looked at each other for a long time.

Finally, Blue asked, "Well, do you think it means anything?"

N shrugged. "It was unusual. I'm not sure if it _means_ anything at all."

000

Silver entered the final code on the keypad and let the door swing open. He stepped into Leaf's trophy room softly, careful not to make too much noise. Leaf didn't appreciate sounds when she was working.

The room stretched out in front of him. There was a solitary light in the roof, casting out just enough light to see by. However, it did not fill the entire room and the majority of the space was in darkness. There was the vague outline of computers, and large shapes which could have been cages or computer screens. Aside from that, there was no sign of life. No sign of Leaf. He stepped forward, looking for her and the door clicked shut behind him.

Her voice came drifting through the darkness, echoing slightly off of the walls. "The plan is complete?"

"Yes. Every step. Our members are flying back now."

"The devices worked? Even the older ones?"

"It went off without a hitch." Silver stepped further into the darkness, smiling wider. Somewhere in the darkness off to his left came a muffled Pokémon cry. He turned a corner. Leaf was in front of him, facing away. Her tall, lithe frame was silhouetted against the green light emanating from the device she stood in front of. Silver moved to stand behind her.

"When shall we begin work in here?" he asked.

"'We'? I work in here alone, Silver."

Silver grinned. "Fine, then. When will _you_ begin work in here?"

Leaf turned to face him. The green light picked out her features in perfect detail. She wasn't smiling, but then Silver hadn't expected her to be.

"I believe I will start now." She reached over to the wall beside her. A large lever was protruding for the wall. She grabbed it and tugged downwards, releasing a burst of electricity. Above, the entire system of lights across the roof lit up, revealing the full extend of the room.

The cries of Leaf's trophies filled the air.

000

In Oreburgh city, a small boy stepped up to face Roark in the Gym. In his hands he clasped a Poké Ball, containing his Budew. Roark smiled encouragingly. He drew his own Poké Ball and threw it.

"Geodude!" he cried.

There was a flash of red.

The Pokémon released was not Geodude.

It was small, round, and covered in a thin layer of grey fur. The two trainers stared at it as it lay there on the ground. Roark stepped forward in confusion, looking down at it. He checked his other Poké Balls, looking for his Cranidos, his Onyx. All he found were more of this strange, grey thing. He glanced up at the boy who shrugged. The other two trainers, Jonathon and Darius, were also confused. This boy had skipped them, heading straight for Roark. Now though, they pulled out their own Poké Balls. Instead of Geodudes, they had more of the strange grey things.

"Roark?" Darius asked in a quiet voice. "What's going on?"

000

It was headline news across the world the next day. All the Gym Leaders, and worse, all the Elite Four, had had their Pokémon stolen and replaced with low-level creatures who nobody had been able to identify. These creatures were unable to fight, with less than five HP apiece. Everyone everywhere was at a loss. Many individual trainers had had this problem too, including all the Gym trainers around the world. There was a mass panic, confusion, as well as several breakdowns as people just realised what they had lost.

Deep below the earth, a gathering of scientists and trainers, Silver at the head, were watching the news broadcast. They each wore large, gleeful smiles.

This. This was the desired outcome.


	7. Acting

**Sorry this took a little longer to come up. I'm in the middle of studying for my mid-year exams and haven't had much time for writing. Still, here's the next chapter. Thank you for reading.**

**If you have any ways in which I can improve, please let me know.**

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><p>The Pokémon cries filled the room. The lights had gone from their usual dim glow to a full and brilliant white light. Creatures shrieked as they covered their eyes and tried to turn away only to be met with the confining walls of their cages. The howls mingled together to create an unholy cacophony. It beat relentlessly against the eardrums. Silver screwed up his eyes and covered his ears with his hands. The sound was enough to give him a headache.<p>

Leaf did nothing of the sort. She merely picked Espeon up off of the floor and held the creature above her head. Espeon tensed for a moment, then fell limp. All around, her psychic energies were quietening the Pokémon. Many of the nearest ones had fallen into a sleep so deep it was nearly a coma. Leaf kept Espeon tight to her chest, and began to walk down the aisles. She knew the one she was looking for. Silver followed along behind her, glancing into the tanks and cages they passed. Pokémon gazed bleary-eyed back at him. Some opened their mouths into silent moans.

"Are you going to tell me exactly what you're going to be doing in here?" he asked, speeding up to walk alongside her. "Your methods?"

The girl looked round. Her brown eyes were their usual cold, steely expression. "No. Not until it is complete." They stopped by one of the larger cages. Inside, a furry white dragon was slumped over. One of its eyes was a red slit, its eye rolled back. Unconscious. Leaf stood and watched its limp frame, one hand resting on one of the bars of its cage. The metal was icy cold to the touch.

"I will begin my work now," she said, not taking her eyes of the sleeping Reshiram. "Please leave. And tell the others not to disturb me. Not for anything. If the base is burning to the ground, I shall burn with it. Nothing is to distract me until this is complete. Do you understand?"

She turned to look at Silver, who was scowling at her. His lips were pressed into a tight line. Leaf sighed and loosened her hold on Espeon who leapt to the ground. The girl stepped closer to the red-haired boy, looking down and slightly to one side. Her hand reached up to cup his face.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was soft and tender. "I know I have been distant lately. It's just that this plan is taking up all of my time, and-"

"You sound like my father." Silver's voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a sword.

At these words, Leaf gasped and looked up. Her eyes were a warm brown now, and threatening to spill tears. "No! No, do not say that! I am nothing like your father. I would never abandon you." She gave a strangled sob and leant her head into Silver's chest. The boy stood tense for a moment, then relaxed and sighed. His arms came up to wrap around her. She was thin and delicate, it felt as though she would shatter at his touch.

Leaf lifted her head and brought her lips to his. Her body curved into him, pressing frame to frame. Her hand cupped his face whilst his arms wrapped around her waist. The embrace lasted five seconds, before they broke apart. Leaf pressed a second, soft kiss to Silver's cheek, making him smile.

"I will make sure you are not disturbed," he said, turning and striding out.

Leaf watched him go. Her expression was stoney once again. The flickering of emotion had lasted an instant, and was only for Silver's benefit. If he did not have the human intimacy he so craved then he would leave, returning to the shallow life from which he had only recently been rescued. Leaf could not allow that. She needed him. So, for now at least, she had to put on this act. It was not difficult. Over the years she had become very good at it.

"Shall we begin?" she asked once she had heard the heavy door close with a thud. Espeon purred her assent. Turning her face, the Pokémon concentrated on the limp Reshiram. Psychic energy was sent out, bathing the dragon and sending it to a deeper sleep. Leaf pushed open the heavy door and stepped into the cage.

She had brought with her several thick restraints which she proceeded to use to bind the Dragon Pokémon. First its body, then its limbs and finally its wings and head. The creature was laid bare, waiting of her. Lying on its back with arms, legs, head, and wings spread out and held down. When the last restraint was in place, Espeon sat back. The psychic energy ceased, no longer needed.

Leaf knelt beside Reshiram's head. If she ever met N again, she would have to thank him. If not for him, she would never be here. Her plan would never have come into fruition. Her fingers ran over the creature's soft hair. It felt as cool and soft to the touch as water.

From outside the cage, Leaf drew a small, black box. Opening it, it was revealed to contain silver surgical instruments, as well as coloured lengths of wire. Leaf reached in and withdrew a small, lethal-looking scalpel. One hand reached out and grabbed Reshiram, round the snout. Holding it thus, she leaned in close and made the first incision.

It was interesting, she thought, how this Pokémon's blood was a brighter red than she had expected. A drop grazed against one finger and she swore quietly. Quickly she pulled on a pair of srugical gloves and continued to work. Blood trickled down over her hands and dripped onto the floor as she worked. A small towel mopped it up before it stayed there too long.

In the neighbouring cage, Zekrom could smell the blood. In its sleep, it howled.

000

N sat cross-legged in the middle of Viridian Gym. In his hands he held one of the Pokémon which had replaced Blue's. It was small, about the size of a Geodude's head, and a light grey colour like washing-up water. It was covered in a soft fur and had small stubs which N assumed were its legs. They were incredibly ineffectual: all they could do was tap on the floor and even then not very hard taps. It had a face of sorts, but this was just two eyes which were perpetually closed, as well as a small mouth. N had pried this mouth open, but had found only a gummy mass and no teeth. If he had to liken it to something, N would have suggested a baby Pokémon. This was of course ridiculous as everyone knew Pokémon hatched fully-formed from eggs. Still, it was the best description he could find.

Behind him, the Gym Trainers were standing and muttering to each other. As they did so, they kept glancing at N.

"Just think about it. The day he comes back is the day all our Pokémon are stolen. I'm not saying he did it, but it's really suspicious, don't you think?"

"Shut up, Salma. He's just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yeah, but look at him. He's getting on awfully well with those things, isn't he?"

"He says he can talk to Pokémon. What's that if not crazy?"

"Well... Stranger things have happened."

These whispers carried on, not too loud to be overhead. Although, neither N nor Blue were paying any attention. At the back of the Gym, Blue was pacing again. He was completely lost in thoughts. His own mutters were slightly louder and if anyone were to listen they could be easily discerned.

"How did they do it?" he was saying through gritted teeth. "Nobody even noticed. One moment we had Pokémon, the next we had these things. What are they, anyway? Nothing I've seen. But how? _How_? It's _nothing_ like Team Rocket's methods. They just threatened people to their faces and asked trainers to give them their Pokémon. But I could see straight through them. Of course I could. Anyone could. This is much more subtle. Sneaky. A pickpocket? No, can't be. They have security cameras in the Elite Four and they were robbed too. The Elite Four! How could the get the Elite Four? How did this happen?"

He paused, his hands pressing into his forehead. Slowly, tentatively, he began to think, "Perhaps Leaf is something to do with it." Before this thought was fully formed, he was banging a fist into his skull. "Its definitely not Leaf," he snarled to himself. "Definitely not."

"Blue?"

The Gym Leader looked up to find one of the Gym Trainers watching him with concern. "You seem stressed," she said lamely. Her face turned pink.

Blue straightened up. He was Gym Leader, he had to remain composed. He coughed into one hand. "I'm fine. Disoriented, but fine. I... I have other Pokémon in storage, I am not at a loss."

The other Trainers looked at each other. They had Pokémon in storage, but much weaker than the ones that had been stolen. Then again, they were still reasonably strong. Stronger than most average-day trainers. Of course, what if those had been stolen too?

"Just keep an eye on the green kid," one muttered, eyeing N.

Blue strode past N and out of the Gym to the Pokémon Centre. There, he logged onto the computer to get another Pokémon. What he saw made him scowl. The highest level Pokémon there was a good twenty levels below that which had been stolen. And the rest were about twenty levels below _that_ one.

He swore under his breath, then withdrew the Pokémon, not even caring what it was. At that moment he just needed rid of those stupid grey things. So he deposited each of the replacements, and took out the one high level in his box.

Halfway back o the Gym, Blue realised what he'd just taken out. It was his Jolteon: the evolved form of the Eevee which he'd been given by his Grandfather when he'd first become a trainer. It had been languishing in his PC for years, completely forgotten about. He'd been too busy training his other Pokémon, the ones with better stats.

He stood, rooted to the spot, just staring and staring at the Poké Ball in his hand.

He wasn't sure why, but he thought of Leaf again. Hilbert and N had said that she used an Espeon. When he'd last seen her, it was still an Eevee, it too had been a gift from his Gradfather. She'd trained it a lot since he last saw her.

A good few minutes passed with Blue standing there, until the silence was broken by his phone ringing. He tugged it out of his trouser pocket and held it to his ear. Frantically, and without realising why, he asked, "Leaf?"

"Sorry? No, it's Lance."

At the sound of the Dragon Master's voice, Blue calmed down. Lance only called in emergencies. Settling into his business manner, Blue asked, "What's the matter?"

"The thing is, all the Elite Fours have received word about it and we're telling Gym Leaders now." Lance's voice sounded constricted, more terse than normal. "It's about our stolen Pokémon."

"Yes?"

"We have been told to turn our televisions to channel 83 at exactly 7 o'clock tonight."

Blue raised his eyebrows. "What? Channel 83? But that's just static, what good'll-"

"I'm only passing on the message," interrupted Lance. "And I need to call all the Kanto Gym leaders, so I'm afraid I'll have to hang up now. It was nice speaking to you, Blue."

"You too."

He was already walking when the phone clicked silent. As he went, he was muttering to himself. "Channel 83, 7 o'clock. Channel 83, 7 o'clock."

000

The Camera was rigged. The countdown started. A hooded figure sat on a chair, their features wreathed in shadow. Their hand reached up to pull the hood down further. The outline of their chin could just be made out, but their features were in darkness. They were impossible to identify.

Behind the camera, someone held up their fingers to count down the seconds. Five... Four... Three... Two... One.

The camera began transmitting. Elite Fours and Gym Leaders gathered around their televisions, which went from static to this strange, hooded person. A device on their neck, hidden by the cloak, masked their voice and turned it to a deep gurgle. This instrument was switched on, just in time for the first words.

"Good evening."

The speech had been memorised and was flowing off the figure's tongue as easy as breathing.

"I am a member of a nameless organisation. You may know us as the ones who have stolen your Pokémon." He flicked a finger and a button was pressed on a distant control panel. The image appearing on television screens would have changed from the hooded figure to stills of the Pokémon they now held. The gurgling voice was still heard as they spoke.

"We have no demands at the present time. Simply know this: we hold the most powerful Pokémon and have amongst our numbers the most powerful trainers. Should we so desire it, we would be more than capable of controlling the entire planet. Each day we get stronger."

The camera switched back to the figure, still sitting in the high-backed chair.

"Fear us. This world will soon be completely under our control."

The camera switched off. Televisions returned to static.

In the underground base, Silver pulled back the hood and unclipped the device from his neck. The next of the plan had been given to him only a few days ago. It had been easy enough. Leaf had told him simply to wait. For what, he didn't know.

000

Blue was glaring at the blank television screen. N and the Gym trainers were silent, watching him. Slowly, he got to his feet.

"The strongest trainers?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I'm willing to bet the strongest hasn't even heard of them."

Blue looked round at N who was sitting cross-legged and still clutching the grey Pokémon. Blue grabbed his shoulder and hoisted him to his feet.

"You need to come with me," he said, striding to the door. "You can speak to Pokémon. That'll help keep them from attacking until I get my team back."

"Where are we going?"

"Mt Silver. There's someone there who I bet will be able to help."


	8. Atop Mt Silver

**Thanks for reading this far. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's one of my personal favourites.**

**If you have any criticism or feedback, please let me know.**

* * *

><p>Mt Silver stretched upwards into the night sky, looming over Kanto and Johto. The forgotten realm where the Pokémon were strong and only those considered worthy were allowed to tread. This was where Red, the boy famous throughout Kanto, had been training for years. And it was somewhere deep inside this colossal chunk of rock, that the Viridian Gym leader and the former king of Team Plasma were standing.<p>

A large rock scree was running along the wall on one side of them, heading up into darkness. On the other, the ground dropped away in a sheer cliff. An icy black river was coursing beneath them. The roar of the water was pounding in Blue's skull. He was tired, he was hungry, and he was sick to death of this cave. He just wanted to get to Red, then get out as soon as possible.

Blue squinted up at the rock face, calculating. Then, he drew a Pokéball and released a Sandlsash. "Rockclimb," he instructed it. The creature positioned its hands on the rocks and waited as Blue grabbed hold of the spines along its back. He glanced over his shoulder at N.

"Grab on."

N stood a little way away, blinking up at the rock, then down at the river, then at the scree again. He was still clutching the grey Pokémon to his chest, he'd held it for the entire journey. As a result, he'd been tripping an awful lot and now had numerous tears along his clothes and skin. Blue was finding it irritating, but N was able to keep wild Pokémon from attacking so he hadn't complained. Now though, he was starting to lose patience.

"You know I don't want to use Pokémon," N said, shaking his head. "I still feel awful about using your Pidgeot. I won't use your Sandslash, too."

Blue groaned, mashing his palm into his face. This really was too much. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Well..." he said through gritted teeth. "How are you going to keep going? This is the only way through and the only way up is on Sandslash."

N scowled. "I'll climb myself."

"Don't be ridiculous," Blue scoffed. "You can't possibly-" However, N had already grabbed a rock on the wall and was hoisting himself upwards. He had tucked his jacket into the waistband of his trousers and carefully stowed the grey Pokémon in the gap between the jacket and his shirt. Its blank face was poking out of the top. Every so often its little leg stumps would twitch. Keeping his body arched so that the Pokémon wouldn't hit the rock face, N began to climb. It was slow work. He reached up to test whether the next rock would hold his weight, then slithered upwards to rest on it. Occasionally he would tap a nearby rock and a miniature avalanche would take place. Rolling his eyes, Blue gently nudged his Sandslash and moved upwards alongside N.

"This is stupid," he told the green-haired boy tetchily. "You're wasting time. Dozens of other trainers could be having their Pokémon stolen right now and you're idiocy is preventing us from getting the solution."

N's jaw was set and he didn't reply. Blue sighed, shaking his head. Then he tapped Sandslash with his heel and they scurried up the rest of the scree to the safe ledge above. Glancing down, he could just make out the top of N's hat. It was a small speck of white amongst the dark grey. He swore for what felt like the hundredth time that day, mentally urging N to speed up.

The boy reached up to grab the next rock. Then things seemed to slow down. Blue watched in horror as the rocks gave way beneath N's feet and, with a rumble that shook Blue right to his bones, sent him tumbling downwards. The boy's hands reached upwards, his mouth forming a silent scream. One hand shot to cover the Pokémon at his chest. Then, the darkness swallowed him.

Blue fell backwards, his mouth hanging open. N had fallen to his death. That strange boy... He'd been annoying, sure, but Blue had been growing fond of him. And now... Now...

There was a loud rumbling from down below and the cave floor began to shake again. Blue scrambled to his feet as the lurching figure of a Tyranitaor loomed up from the scree. His eyes locked with the Gym Leader's. It reached out a colossal hand, scrabbled behind its head, then produced something limp and pale. Something with a rush of green hair. Something clutching a small grey Pokémon to its chest.

"N?" Blue said incredulously when the Tyranitar placed him on the ground and vanished. He blinked nervously. "I guess that talking to Pokémon thing is true, then?" N looked up. His eyes were wide and staring, his mouth blank. Then, his shoulders began to shake. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were both clutching their sides and heaving with laughs. The sound bounced off the cave walls, being reverberated and made louder. At N's chest, the Pokémon waved its legs in a feeble effort to join in.

Eventually, the two boys' laughter quietened down and they sat staring around them. They were deep inside the mountain now, too far to turn back. Not that they were going to turn back, of course. Blue was determined to have his Pokémon returned, and for that he needed Red's help. To find Red, he needed N to help keep wild Pokémon from attacking. So they were both in for the long haul.

"You know," Blue said after a while. "You wouldn't have fallen if you'd just left that thing at home." He eyed the grey thing, which was silently opening and closing its gummy mouth. Its eyes were still closed and limp. N picked it up and ran a finger over its head in a soft stroke.

"I like it," he said. "And besides, you can't leave a baby unsupervised. I know the others wouldn't have looked after it properly."

Blue rolled his eyes. N had insisted on calling it 'a baby', despite everything they knew about Pokémon eggs. Still, if the stupid thing was what was needed to keep him there.

"Hey, N," Blue said, looking around. "D'you think you could ask one of those Golbats where to find him?"

N nodded and moved down the ledge a little way. Blue watched him conversing with one of the winged Pokémon, which shrieked and flapped its wings. It swooped over Blue's head and down the corridor, where it hovered by a small tunnel. N jogged up to stand beside Blue, pointing.

"I asked it if it had seen another human living here and it said that it would show us the way. Um... Apparently they call him-" N gave strange shriek which sounded exactly like a Golbat.

Blue stared at him blankly. "I don't speak Golbat."

"It means... Well, roughly translated, it means _The God of Destruction_."

Blue turned to look in the direction the Gollbat was indicating. It had been several years since he had last seen Red. This mountain was too dangerous for even him to traverse easily, and the two of them had been cut off. Now he had gained a reputation amongst the Pokémon here. 'The God of Destruction'? So much was different to that time when he, Red, and Leaf had just been children in Pallet Town. Leaf was right, everyone changed, and some more than others. He wondered dimly which out of the three was the most different.

They started walking after the Golbat, through the quiet mountain. The sound of water dimmed as they traversed the long, twisting tunnels. The Golbat flitted through easily, despite its large wingspan. At times they emerged into the open air. It was bitterly cold, and covered in snow. N hastily wrapped up the 'baby' in his jacket to protect it. It made small mewling sounds which were faintly muffled by N's jacket.

Mt Silver was in so remote an area between Kanto and Johto that it was impossible to see anything with the naked eye. Blue held a Zoom Lens up to his face to scan the surrounding landscape. He could only just make out the Indigo Plateau in the distance, but all else was a vague blur of green, brown, and grey. He lowered the lens, blew into his hands to warm them, then continued the walk through the mountain cave.

The two boys were silent for most of their journey. It was in a small cavern that N spoke. "This guy... Red, was it?"

Blue nodded.

"We're looking for him..."

"He's the strongest trainer I know," Blue said, feeling his mouth quiver into a smile.

N nodded. "And he knows Leaf?"

Blue halted so abruptly that N walked straight into him. The 'baby' squeaked at the impact. N opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but the expression on Blue's face silenced him. His jaw was set, his eyes were burning. A cold fury seemed to emanate from every pore.

Blue stood square in front of N. When he spoke, his voice was little more than a growl. "Now, you listen to me," he said, jabbing a hard finger into N's chest. "That is _not_ why we're here. Leaf has _nothing_ to do with this, alright?"

N nodded. "But-"

"No! She may collect Legendary Pokémon, she may have stooped to stealing them, but that was nothing on this scale. Besides, none of the stolen Pokémon were legendaries, were they?"

"Well, no, but-"

"I'm not condoning her actions," Blue continued, his voice rising. "I think stealing is repulsive. But she is nothing to do with the thievery taking place right now, got it? That nameless organisation is nothing to do with her. Okay? Okay?"

N nodded quickly. Blue glared at him for a few more seconds, then turned away. As they walked, N tailed a few steps behind.

"That's not what I was talking about," he murmured after a while.

"What?"

N raised his voice. "That's not what I was talking about. I wasn't implying that Leaf had anything to do with any of this. I just... I just wanted to ask... You knew Leaf, and you knew Red. I was wondering if this Red knew Leaf as well."

Blue looked round. N was looking down at his feet, his shoulders hunched. In his hands, the 'baby' was sleeping. He sighed.

"Sorry. I jumped to conclusions. Yes, Red knew Leaf. We all grew up in Pallet Town together. Although, Leaf was a little younger than us. She stayed at home when we started journeying with Pokémon. I remember she was pretty jealous." Blue sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

There was silence for a few minutes. Then N spoke again. "I met Leaf. In Unova. I saw the way her Pokémon talked about her, the way she interacted with them. Nobody whose Pokémon trust them like that would steal another's. I know she didn't possibly have anything to do with this. She couldn't."

N looked away. His face was a soft rosy pink colour which couldn't be seen in the cave's dim light. He remembered the way Leaf had spoken to her Pokémon, the things they had said during their battle. He remembered the way Zekrom had come to her. The way she had yelled at Ghetsis that he should be ashamed for all he'd done. He remembered the way she'd kissed him. No, she was a good person. She couldn't possibly have stolen those Pokémon.

The Golbat drew to a stop by a small door. Light was pouring in, indicating that it headed outside. It gave another shrieking cry.

"It won't go any farther," N translated. "To venture too near to _The God of Destruction_ will result in certain death." He turned to look at Blue, who shrugged and stepped through the cave exit. N moved to follow, but the Golbat swooped in close. It lowered its face to the baby in the boy's hands, which raised its own face to look upwards. The Pokémon gave a low call, too low for N to make out. The baby mewled in response, waving its legs.

Then, the Golbat turned and swooped back down the cave. N watched it go, then looked at the baby. It had fallen asleep, still tucked into his coat. He had seen many strange interactions with Pokémon, but this was unlike anything. He wondered what it meant as he stepped out into the open.

A single peak stretched out in front of them, covered in snow and ice. The cliffs dropped away on either side of them, plummeting to infinity. The sky was a cold, crisp blue. And there, facing away from them, stood a boy. He was of a slight build, a few inches shorter than Blue and roughly the same height as N. Shaggy black hair could be seen peeking out from under a battered red cap. His entire outfit seemed battered, probably as a result of living in such a rugged environment for so long. When Blue and N approached, he did not react.

They stopped a few feet from him. N glanced at his companion, feeling at a loss. Blue merely smirked.

"As chatty as always, Red."

Here, the boy turned. His face was sharp, his chin and nose coming at angles. His dark hair seemed to mimic the contours of his face, coming in ragged clumps. His eyes were a warm, rich brown that almost seemed to shimmer and change to a dark scarlet as N watched. His skin was covered in scuffs and scrapes and scars. Some scars were thin and faded, obviously old. Others were fresh and pink. A couple of cuts were still oozing blood or had only recently scabbed over. His entire body, covered in marks of conflict. The sight of it made N gasp.

Red turned turned his head to look at N, his face an icy cold expression. When their eyes met, N was reminded of the way in which Leaf had looked at him that time they had first met. It was a cold look that seemed to slice straight through him. His cheeks, already red from the cold, flushed a even deeper crimson. His insides squirmed and yet he found it impossible to look away.

Red slowly turned back to face Blue, breaking his hold over N. The two trainers stood in silence, surveying each other. Then, Blue gave a small smile and Red's mouth twitched.

"It's good to see you, again," Blue said in a jovial tone. "Although you don't make it easy." Red shrugged, then looked quizzically at N.

Blue pointed at him. "Friend of mine. Name's N. He can talk to Pokémon so I brought him with me to keep attackers at bay."

Red nodded once in greeting, the turned back to Blue. He raised one eyebrow.

"This isn't a social call," Blue said, translating the silent boy's movements as easily as blinking. "I need your help. Actually, everyone needs your help."

Red didn't move.

Blue took a long breath. "The thing is, and we're not sure how it happened, the Pokémon of all the Gym Leaders and Elite Fours in the world have been stolen. Stolen and replaced with... Well, with these." He pointed at the bundle in N's arms. N hastily peeled back a flap of coat so that the baby could be seen. It huffed at the rush of cold air and fidgeted, until N covered it back up. Red looked at it cooly. Then he shrugged.

"I'm assuming yours haven't been stolen, yeah?"

Red looked at Blue, then pointed down one of the slopes. The two boys followed his gaze. Below them, on an outcropping roughly the size of Goldenrod City, six Pokémon were sparring with each other. As they watched, a colossal burst of electricity was produced. Enough to raise the hairs on Blue's head.

"Excellent." Blue turned again to look at Red. "The thing is, they (the people who did this) they say they have all the Pokémon and are capable of stealing more. Red, I've no idea what they're planning, but it can't be good. We need you to help defeat them. You're our only hope."

Red looked at Blue for a full minute. Then, he glanced out at the open air. He shook his head.

"Red!" Blue grabbed his friend's shoulders, turning him back so that their gazes locked. "You can't say 'no'. This is serious. You have to help us!"

Red shook his head again. His hands splayed their fingers, indicating the surrounding rock. Blue understood his meaning. _This_ was his whole world now. If it didn't effect _this_, Red didn't care.

He groaned, tightening his grip on Red's shoulders. There had to be some way to convince him. Some way to show that it effected-

No. No, he couldn't say that. It would mean admitting everything he had fought to deny. Giving in to everything his gut was telling him which he had been fighting with every fibre of his being.

But it was the only way.

Blue took a deep shuddering breath.

"Red." He raised his eyes to look hard at the other boy. "It's your sister. She's the one behind this. Leaf's been stealing people's Pokémon."


End file.
